Dead Inside
by secretfanficlover
Summary: Harry and Kingsley manage to get away from the zombies just in time, but can they help others from their own fate? Apocalypse AU- Violence, angst, loss, death


**This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

* * *

Word Count: 2541

Title: Dead Inside

Note: (AU) Zombie apocalypse

Warnings: Death, angst, loss, violence

* * *

Golden Snitch

[Name] Crissie

[School] Uagadou

[House] Ogyinae

Care of Magical Creatures: Acromantula- write about someone overcoming their fears

* * *

Hogwarts

Assignment 7: Zoology: Dogs: Task #6 - Chihuahua: Write about someone being overprotective

Yearly:

Prompt 400 [AU] Apocalypse

Word 202 [Word] Morbid

* * *

International Wizarding School Championships:

Ilvermorny - Death Becomes Her:

'Death Becomes Her' is the age old tale of immortality and beauty, and how much you are willing to do to get it. Your theme buzzwords are:

Fear of Death/Aging

Beauty

The Undead

Willing to go to any lengths

Dissatisfied

Prompts: Main: [Song] 'Battle Cry' - Skillet

Additional:

[Dialogue] "You claim you want to see me dead. I'm beginning to doubt your commitment."

[Setting] Godric's Hollow

* * *

"Harry, come on!" Kingsley cried, tossing Harry his broomstick just in time for them to fly off and watch as the zombies reached the others. Harry wished he could help the rest of the people in the area, but there was nothing he could do.

He hovered for a while as he saw the hordes of undead descend on the horrified public.

"Have you ever just wanted to start everything over?" Kingsley asked his boyfriend.

"Of course, I would turn back the time any day if we could find the origin of this outbreak and stop the virus from spreading around the Magical community."

Kingsley nodded, and they flew off without looking back. They heard the crunch of bones as the zombies reached the people. They heard the shouts of many of the Wizards for the zombies to stop, since some wanted to appeal to the people they used to be. Others tried to set the zombies on fire, but it only managed to delay the Undead.

They reached Godric's Hollow, where they had managed to set up wards against the zombies, who included both friends and foe alike. They dismounted their brooms and went inside together, Harry sighed as he watched the teal painted door close, closing the chaos outside.

"Come here," Kingsley said, sitting down on the couch and patting the spot beside him. The room was small, but functional. Harry sat down, letting Kingsley hold him. He looked around the small lounge, wondering what it used to look like when his parents lived there.

The two lovers had built a small cottage up from the ground, after clearing out the space where Harry's parents used to live. Among the rubble Harry found items that survived the fire that was set, old photographs of his parents. He had one of them framed, albeit singed at the edges, on a small mahogany coffee table.

"I know they would be proud of you," Kingsley said, seeing his boyfriends eyes on his smiling parents photo.

"I hope so," Harry said with a half hearted smile. "Let's not talk about such morbid topics right now."

Kingsley knew Harry could see the change in his eyes.

"You want to say something, don't you?" Harry asked.

"Yes, now I know this is a tough one to hear, but I need you to make me a promise," Kingsley admitted.

"I don't like where this is going," Harry said, yet not moving away from his lover.

"I don't fear Death, Harry," Kingsley said. "But I do fear becoming one of those creatures. I would never be able to live with myself if I didn't know you would go through any means to stop me."

"You mean you want me too… no," Harry said, shaking his head vigorously. "I lost my entire family, I can't lose you as well."

"Harry, give me your sacred oath that you will kill me if I become a zombie, I love you, please, please, promise me."

"That won't happen, I won't let them get you," Harry said stubbornly.

"I know, so making this promise should be easy," Kingsley said. He was pale, there was nothing he feared more on earth than hurting the man he loved.

"Okay, you have my word," Harry said. "But only once I've tried everything to save you."

Kingsley decided that was good enough for now, and the two lovers went to bed, thankful they had one another in this upside down world they were in.

* * *

The next morning the lovers awoke, not feeling rested, there was only so much sleeping one could do plagued with nightmares of Weasley's turned into brain-eating undead.

"Morning," Kingsley said. They had long since stopped saying good morning. It was never good anymore. Each day only brought Death and loss. During the night every time Harry woke up in a cold sweat screaming, Kingsley would calm him, knowing that it beats the alternative of losing the man he loved. He would hold onto the trashing dark haired man until he woke up, and once he was calm, Kingsley would stroke his back lovingly and get him to go back to sleep.

"Morning," Harry grunted, rolling over and cocooning himself in the covers. Kingsley smiled at him, and got up to put the kettle on.

Once he returned with a mug of hot black coffee, Harry's eyes opened suspiciously. "Is that coffee?" He asked, sniffing the air.

"Yes, love," Kinsgley said with a small smile. He knew just how to get his lover out of bed in the morning. "And I'll make scrambled eggs and toast."

"No, we aren't going outside again," Harry said, his face pale.

"We need to help them, Harry," Kingsley reasoned.

"I can't risk it, what if one of us gets infected?" Harry argued.

"Then we go down swinging, come on, they can't take what we have," Kingsely said. He often believed he had been bad for Harry, Harry used to be so brave and selfless, but giving him something to lose made it harder for him to sacrifice everything.

Harry ate half-heartedly, and Kingsley knew better than to tell Harry he had a bad feeling that Kingsley's time was coming. Kingsley took a photograph with his lover, kissing his cheek.

"One for the collection," he said with a smile. Harry gave him a curious look, but said nothing with regards to Kinsgley's behaviour.

"Where to then?" Harry asked, they had packed the dishes in the sink and went to the room to get dressed.

"Hogsmeade," Kingsley said. "I received a message through a corporeal patronus that someone was hiding out in the Shrieking Shack, apparently the zombies have been staying clear of the area."

Harry shivered, and it was clear the negative associations of the place were sitting there inside him. The place that caused him to lose his godfather again, where Ron almost died had Sirius's aim been a bit off.

* * *

The two of them set off on their broomsticks towards Hogsmeade, and Kingsley led the way. The surrounding area was surprisingly clear of anyone, and the two lovers aimed their landing only a few hundred meters from the Shack.

"Hello?" Kingsley said, his voice travelling over the empty grounds.

"I feel like the universe is playing some horrible practical joke on me," Kingsley heard the voice of none other than Draco Malfoy, his boyfriends ex.

"The Universe is under no obligation to make sense to you," Kingsley replied, turning to face his lovers ex.

"I really had hoped out of all of them, you would have been dead," Harry said. The words from Harry's mouth sounded hollow. Kingsley knew the breakup between them was bad, but knowing there was someone else still unaffected, gave him hope.

"You've met the ex," Harry added to Kingsley, "Let's go."

"Come on, Harry, we can't just leave him here," Kingsley said.

Harry's eyes flickered between Kingsley and Draco, and he wanted to argue, but it seems like it was time for them to leave. He spotted the zombies, to his horror, none other than the redheads that used to be called his family.

"Oh Merlin," Harry muttered. "Come on, but he is riding with you."

"You claim you want to see me dead. I'm beginning to doubt your commitment," Draco said snarkily, getting onto the back of Kingsleys broomstick.

"Don't start that again, I can leave you behind," Harry said suddenly.

"Would you two stop bickering?" Kingsley asked, getting ready to kick off suddenly. The horde started to advance upon them, and they managed to kick off into the air long before the hungry horde could reach them.

They reached the small cottage, and once they were inside the arguing between the younger men started up again.

"Go. Away. Annoying. Person," Harry muttered through gritted teeth, and Kingsley contained a grin as Draco replied.

"Very eloquent." It was clear Harry was getting more and more frustrated with Draco being there.

"Would you both quit it?" Kingsley said in annoyance.

"Don't you want to know what caused this outbreak?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"I find it hard to believe you would know," Harry shot back.

"Go on then," Kingsley said, ignoring his lover's look of annoyance.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Draco started. "My aunt decided that after Voldemort was gone, she would find a way to resurrect him, but she made a mistake that ended up turning the leftover Death Eaters into zombies."

"Then why has it spread so far?" Harry asked, surprising Kingsley.

"Well, without direction they went and attacked an orphanage, and then proceeded to cause mayhem and destruction everywhere they went," Draco replied. Kingsley saw Harry's look of suspicion.

"Thank you," Kingsley said. "The knowledge can help us."

* * *

Slowly, painfully slowly, the men went about rescuing others that had survived the outbreak. With some magical renovation, the little cottage in Godric's Hollow became a safe haven for those that had nowhere left to go.

Among those rescued was Charlie Weasley, as well as Hagrid.

"Hagrid, why did you leave Hogwarts?" Harry asked the man as he was sitting in their living room.

"Headmistress McGonoggal sent me on a mission, you see," Hagrid explained. "She had hoped that we could find the cure."

Hagrid didn't stay with them for a long time, he needed to return to the school. Harry had been relieved to hear that the students were all fine, although many of them had lost most if not all of their family. Charlie was the only Weasley left outside the school that survived the outbreak, and Harry was more than happy to let him stay. Harry knew Kingsley believed it was so he didn't have to be alone with Draco, which he couldn't argue was partially the reason. His relationship with Draco had always been explosive, even when they were dating, and Harry was a little scared that something would send him back into the blond's arms.

At least they had hope that someone at Hogwarts would find a solution to all this, before they were all reduced to nothing.

* * *

Kingsley and Harry went out on another mission, and this time they were too late to save Neville Longbottom from the infection. Harry had already mounted his broom and kicked off, when he saw his lover trying to calm Neville, to talk to him.

"Neville, please," Kingsley said. "I know you are still there, fight back."

Harry tossed his lover the broomstick, and Kingsley caught it. He got onto it, trying again to appeal to Harry's friend. It was clear that Neville was dead inside, just like the rest of them, he was too far gone to save. Harry felt the tears streaming down his face as he watched the interaction.

"Kingsley! Watch out!" Harry cried, but it was too late, Neville had taken one of his clawed hands and scratched a mark right across Kingsley's face. Kingsley got onto his broom, and they both rushed to Godric's Hollow.

"You idiot!" Harry exclaimed as they reached their home. "What in Merlin's name were you thinking?" Harry clambered off his broom.

Kingsley already felt sick, he was struggling not to lash out at Harry, he knew this wasn't Harry's fault.

"I think I should go lie down," Kingsley said.

* * *

It started slowly, and it almost seemed like Kingsley was going to be fine. That's what he lead Harry and the rest to believe. He knew his time was coming to an end when he started wanting to lash out at Harry. When he thought about murdering him in cold blood.

Kingsley was sitting in the lounge when Harry found him.

"Love, come back to bed," Harry said sleepily.

"Get lost," he shot back. Instantly, Harry was wide awake and recognized the warnings. Harry still wasn't quite ready to give up.

"The spare bedroom," Harry muttered and left his lover with a sad look in his eyes.

The next morning it had gotten worse, Kinsgley had stopped eating, and there was a vacant look in his usual blue eyes.

Harry couldn't sleep, he ended up sitting downstairs with his eyes on the teal front door, knowing that soon he would have to be brave enough to let Kingsley go.

* * *

Teddy was visiting his godfather, having gotten permission from the headmistress to go home for the weekend. Most of the students no longer had homes to go to, and the irony of being an orphan was he was used to not having a family, and it hit the rest of his peers a lot worse than him.

"Hello, Harry!" The boy cried jumping into Harry's arms.

"Hey there, little man," Harry replied, ruffling the boy's black hair.

Teddy smiled happily at Harry, out of nowhere Kingsley jumped out, it was clear his aim was to attack the small boy. Teddy screamed in terror.

"Kingsley no!" Harry shouted, getting between him and Teddy. "Teddy, run, go to Draco." He added, he was desperate to save them both, but he knew it was too late.

Harry was holding his wand, his eyes focused on the man he used to love. He had seen the way Kingsley had jumped at Teddy, but still was reluctant to go through with it.

"Harry, you promised him," Draco said from behind him. "Put him out of his misery."

"But I can't," Harry replied, tears streaming down his face.

"You have to," Draco said. "You need to save your godson, Harry."

He felt himself go dead inside as he whispered the words he never thought he would speak.

"_Avada Kedavra," _he said in a whisper. He watched the green flash of light, and his lovers undead body hit the ground with a thud. Harry looked around to make sure Teddy was okay, and saw Draco held the boy against him, covering his eyes to stop the boy from seeing the man die.

Harry broke down, sitting down on the floor and sobbing until he was no longer aware of the world around him. All he could think of was the last words they ever spoke to each other. He only noticed when Draco touched his arm that Teddy wasn't in the room anymore.

"What are you even doing here?" Harry said bitterly.

"I have nothing to lose," he replied in a hollow voice.

* * *

_Three years later:_

After the zombies had been taken care of, and a cure to the virus was found, many of those who were infected were rescued. This made the guilt so much worse.

"What if I could have saved him?" Harry asked.

"It was too late, you know that," Draco replied.

"He could have survived," he argued.

"It's been three years, Harry, you need to forgive yourself and learn to live again," Draco said.

"I don't know how, I feel dead inside," Harry replied, sitting down on the couch.

"Let me help you," Draco said, sitting down beside him, taking his hand and kissing it gently. Harry could feel something stirring that he thought was lost forever. He jerked his hand away like he had been stung by a bee.

"You know we broke up," Harry muttered, but his cheeks had gone red.

"Well, I never stopped caring about you," Draco admitted. "But then just let me be your friend okay?"

"Friends," Harry agreed.


End file.
